I used to have cable. Month after month, Comcast would send me a $30 bill, begging me to upgrade my plan to get a hundred other channels I didn't use. I was on the cheapest plan available, and there were still channels I didn't want! All I wanted to see were the football games and the news, but I still had to pay. Then came the final straw: one day, the TV stopped working. They wanted me to get a "digital adapter". It was quite a struggle to get it. First, their website refused to let me request one. I called them, and they sent me the wrong type. When they finally sent me an HD adapter, they slipped in a hint that it would have an annual fee!
On top of all that, the whole purpose of the adapter is to convert a digital signal to an analog signal! I have a digital TV! I guess this was just another trick Comcast uses to force users into buying a more expensive package. So, at long last, I researched my options. I could just keep using this horrendous box, paying $30 a month, and using a clunky remote given to me by Comcast, always being pressured into paying more, more, more! Or I could switch to Dish, or some other provider.
But then it hit me. I could get a TV antenna. Of course! Free, with all the channels I wanted. Let me repeat this: get a TV antenna. No more paying for channels that are already free over the air. You can watch all the news channels, PBS, and all of your home team's (go Seahawks!) football games for FREE.
And for all you people out there who think antennas are a huge hassle to install, they're not! You can get "indoor" antennas, where all the setup you need is to tape a floppy piece of plastic to your wall! Seriously!
IMPORTANT NOTE: I would not recommend doing this if you live in an underground apartment.
On top of all that, the whole purpose of the adapter is to convert a digital signal to an analog signal! I have a digital TV! I guess this was just another trick Comcast uses to force users into buying a more expensive package. So, at long last, I researched my options. I could just keep using this horrendous box, paying $30 a month, and using a clunky remote given to me by Comcast, always being pressured into paying more, more, more! Or I could switch to Dish, or some other provider.
But then it hit me. I could get a TV antenna. Of course! Free, with all the channels I wanted. Let me repeat this: get a TV antenna. No more paying for channels that are already free over the air. You can watch all the news channels, PBS, and all of your home team's (go Seahawks!) football games for FREE.
And for all you people out there who think antennas are a huge hassle to install, they're not! You can get "indoor" antennas, where all the setup you need is to tape a floppy piece of plastic to your wall! Seriously!
IMPORTANT NOTE: I would not recommend doing this if you live in an underground apartment.
Slightly complicated but rewarding process:
- Choose your antenna. I highly recommend getting an "indoor antenna". The thing with antennas is that the longer range ones are more expensive. As usual, I recommend the AmazonBasics brand.
- Unplug your cable connection to your TV (this may be hard, but persevere: think of all the money you will save)
- Plug the antenna cable into the newly free port
- Tape your antenna to the wall, or to a window.
- Search for channels on your TV. Make sure to switch mode from "Cable" to "Air".
- If a channel you want is not there, move the antenna and try again. Eventually you will get it! Remember, closer to the window does not necessarily mean better signal. Sometimes the signal will bounce off a wall, making an inner wall a better place to put it than on the window itself.
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